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Varied Program Highlights Musical Showcase Concert

The audience should be prepared to experience a musical adventure when arriving at Grand Rapids' DeVos Hall on Monday, March 4, at 8 p.m. for Hope College's 14th annual Musical Showcase.

Hope College students will hit the stage for a fast-paced, musical spectacular, in which audience members will hear everything from a percussion ensemble to the Chapel Choir.

And however much audience members enjoy the experience, they will be asked not to show it--at least at first. In the tradition of the quick moving musical event, the audience is asked to hold its applause until intermission and the end of the performance.

The concert unveils the gifts of all Hope College's major musical groups, along with soloists, chamber groups and small ensembles. The 23 works performed range from scenes from Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute," to the jazz of Duke Ellington, "Fanfare 20" performed by the Flute Choir, and a violin piece by Johann Sebastian Bach.

The evening opens with "Hunting" from "Hamlet," by Dimitri Shostakovich, performed by the Symphonette under the direction of Richard Piippo. Sophomore pianist Maria Hoogendyk of Portage will perform George Gershwin's "Prelude I." A quick shift features junior soprano Noelle Davids of Big Rapids and junior mezzo-soprano Karissa DeYoung of Jenison, accompanied by sophomore pianist Emily Parkhurst of Lansing, performing "Pleurs d'Or" by Gabriel Faure.

Senior violinist Jennifer Walvoord of Holland will play Johann Sebastian Bach's "Presto from Sonata No. 1 in G Minor." The Jazz Ensemble I, under the direction of Brian Coyle, will play Duke Ellington's "Caravan," and junior organist Heidi Dykema of Grand Rapids will perform Robert Schumann's "Sketch in D-flat."

The opening scene of Wolfgang Mozart's opera, "The Magic Flute," will be performed by members of the Opera Workshop. The Wind Symphony, under the direction of Steven Ward, will perform Scene II of "Satan's Dance of Triumph" from "Job" by Ralph Vaughan Williams, as arranged by Ward.

All of that is in just the first half of the show.

The second half opens with the Flute Choir performing James Christensen's "Fanfare 20."Sophomore pianist Sara Bolkema of Flusing follows with "Gibraltar" from Joaquin Turina's "Travel Impressions."

The Chapel Choir sings a traditional song, "Feller from Fortune" as arranged by Harry Somers. A piano trio takes over with the "Allegro energico e fuoco" from Felix Mendelssohn's "Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor." Munteanu is the violinist, with junior cellist Nicholas Toben of Troy and senior pianist Susan DeKam of Caledonia.

Clarinetist Piper Spratt will have the stage for "Flowing, Singing" and "Fast, Aggressive" from Leslie Bassett's "Soliloquies." Pianist Emily Parkhurst will then present a rendition of Harold Arlen's "Over the Rainbow."

Lukas Foss' "Composer"s Holiday" from "Three American Pieces" will be performed by flutist Jessica Schulte and pianist Richardson.

Mozart's "The Magic Flute" returns with the Papagena duet sung by senior soprano Sarah Proulx of Ionia and senior baritone Erich Shoemaker of Traverse City. The evening ends with the Orchestra, under the direction of Richard Piippo, performing the "Maetoso-Allegro" from Camille Saint-Saens' from "Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78." Known as the "Organ Symphony," the piece will feature organist Huw Lewis of the Hope faculty.

Tickets for Musical Showcase are $10 each, and may be purchased at the Office of Public Relations at Hope College. The office, open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, is located on the second floor of the DeWitt Center and may be called at (616) 395-7860.

Tickets may also be purchased over the counter at the Grand Center Ticket Office, which is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In addition, tickets may be ordered by phone through Ticketmaster by calling (616) 456-3333. A service fee is added to the cost of each ticket purchased this way.